Sailing

2013-14 MIT Sailing News

June 12, 2014Women's Sailing Collects All-America AccoladesAUSTIN, Texas – On the heels of its fifth-place finish at the ICSA Sperry Top-Sider Women’s National Championship, the MIT women’s sailing team received multiple ICSA All-America honors for the first time in program history. Sophomore Lisa Sukharev-Chuyan (Temple, N.H.) was tabbed for Crew All-America accolades while senior skipper Hanna Vincent (Santa Barbara, Calif.) earned honorable mention Women’s All-American plaudits. Sukharev-Chuyan became the seventh sailor to appear on the crews list while Vincent joins Paula Lewin ’93 as the only women’s All-American recipients at MIT.

May 30, 2014MIT Captures Fifth Place at ICSA Women’s Sailing National ChampionshipANNAPOLIS, Md. – Strong performances by senior Hanna Vincent (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and sophomore Lisa Sukharev-Chuyan (Temple, N.H.) in the B Division helped the MIT women's sailing team claim fifth place at the ICSA/Sperry-Top Sider Women's National Championship on Friday. One of four Division III squads to qualify for the 18-team field, the Engineers led the pack while Dartmouth College came away with crown courtesy of a five-point lead over Yale University.

May 28, 2014Women’s Sailing Wins Semifinal, Advances to ICSA National ChampionshipANNAPOLIS, Md. – Competing in its first ICSA/Sperry Top-Sider Women’s National Championship since 1998, the MIT women’s sailing team finished atop the standings in the two-day Eastern Semifinal that concluded on Wednesday. The Engineers’ outstanding performance secured them a spot in the finals that kick off on Thursday morning at the U.S. Naval Academy.

May 22, 2014MIT Names Three New Head Coaches to StaffCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – MIT has selected three individuals to fill head coaching positions on its varsity athletics staff. Julie Soriero, Director of Athletics and Department Head of DAPER, announced Aidan Byrne as the head men’s soccer coach, Michael Kalin as a head coach for sailing and Thierry Lincou as head squash coach.

April 28, 2014No. 14 Coed Sailing Closes Season at New England Dinghy ChampionshipNEW LONDON, Conn. – In its final competition of the season, the nationally-ranked No. 14 MIT coed sailing team claimed 13th place out of 18 squads at the New England Dinghy Championship this past weekend. The Engineers saw their A Division boat of seniors David Alfonso (San Juan, Puerto Rico) and Iris Xu (Madison, Wis.) capture 10th place while the B Division trio of freshmen Alec Stewart (Duxbury, Mass.), Paige Omura (Honolulu, Hawaii), and Jordan Ladd (St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands) was 15th.

April 23, 2014Sailing Collects Women's All-NEISA AwardsNEW LONDON, Conn. – The MIT women’s sailing team doubled its awards total from last year as it saw four athletes receive All-New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association (NEISA) honors. Sophomore Lisa Sukharev-Chuyan (Temple, N.H.) was voted to the Crews First Team as junior Samantha Albright (Madison, Conn.) earned a spot on the Second Team. In addition, the Engineers were represented by senior Hanna Vincent (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and sophomore Robyn Lesh (Everson, Wash.) on the Skipper Second Team.

April 21, 2014No. 3 MIT Women’s Sailing Qualifies for ICSA National ChampionshipCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The nationally-ranked No. 3 MIT women’s sailing team captured eighth place at the New England Championship this past weekend, claiming the final spot for the ICSA Women’s National Championship to be held next month. On the coed side, the No. 13 Engineers finished seventh out of 17 teams at the Boston Dinghy Club Challenge Cup.

April 18, 2014Engineers Win Midweek Tech RegattaCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The MIT sailing team accounted for half of the field at the Midweek Wellesley Tech Regatta hosted by the Engineers on Thursday. The No. 13 coed squad claimed first, fifth, sixth, and seventh places out of eight teams.

April 14, 2014MIT Coed Sailing Team Wins Oberg TrophyCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The MIT sailing teams produced a trio of top-five finishes this past weekend, highlighted by the No. 13 coed squad capturing the Oberg Trophy. The No. 3 women’s team placed fourth at the President’s Trophy while another coed contingent secured fifth place at the Owen, Mosbacher, and Knapp Trophies.

April 10, 2014Coed Sailing Competes in Midweek Fly RegattaCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The nationally-ranked No. 12 MIT coed sailing team captured third and 13th place at its own Midweek Fly Regatta on Tuesday. Northeastern, which had seven entries in the competition, claimed the top two spots.

April 7, 2014MIT Clinches Fourth Place at Women's Emily Wick TrophyCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Following a trip to New London, Connecticut this past weekend, the No. 5 MIT women’s sailing team claimed fourth place out of 18 teams at the Emily Wick Trophy. The Engineers’ team racing contingent was also in tow as they finished eighth at the New England Team Race Championship.

April 2, 2014Lesh and Albright Named NEISA Women’s Sailors of the WeekPROVIDENCE, R.I. – Following their victory in the A Division of the Brad Dellenbaugh Trophy this past weekend, sophomore Robyn Lesh (Everson, Wash.) and junior Samantha Albright (Madison, Conn.) of the MIT women’s sailing team were tabbed for New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association Women’s Sailors of the Week honors. The duo helped the No. 5 Engineers win the regatta, besting 10 nationally-ranked squads in the 18-team field.

March 31, 2014Women's Sailing Wins Dellenbaugh TrophyCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – In a full weekend of action, the No. 5 MIT women’s sailing finished first out of 18 teams at the Brad Dellenbaugh Trophy while the No. 12 coed squad was ninth at the BU Trophy. The team racing contingent represented the Engineers at the Lynne Marchiando Trophy where they were 11th overall.

March 24, 2014No. 5 Women’s Sailing Captures Fourth Place at Charleston RegattaCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The nationally-ranked No. 5 MIT women’s sailing team continued its solid start to the spring season by finishing fourth at the Charleston Women’s Regatta this past weekend. Also in action for the Engineers was the No. 14 team racing unit which was the runner-up at the Staake Trophy Team Race.

March 17, 2014Engineers Finish Third at Geiger Team Race TrophyCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The MIT sailing team, currently No. 14 in the team race national rankings, captured third place out of seven entries at the Ike Geiger Team Race Trophy on Saturday. No. 11 Tufts University took top honors followed by Bowdoin College. The skippers for the Engineers were senior David Alfonso (San Juan, Puerto Rico), freshman Alec Stewart (Duxbury, Mass.), and sophomores Joe Paggi (Bayville, N.J.) and David Larson (La Jolla, Calif.) while the crews consisted of senior Iris Xu (Madison, Wis.), freshmen Paige Omura (Honolulu, Hawaii) and Jordan Ladd (St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands), and sophomore Christopher Ford (Millbrae, Calif.).

March 12, 2014MIT Receives NEISA Women's Sailor of the Week HonorsANNAPOLIS, Md. – Senior Hanna Vincent (Santa Barbara, Calif.) along with sophomores Lisa Sukharev-Chuyan (Temple, N.H.) and Jamila Smith-Dell (Cambridge, Mass.) of the MIT women’s sailing team were named the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association Women’s Sailors of the Week following their victory in the B Division of the Navy Women’s Spring Regatta last weekend.

March 10, 2014No. 9 Women’s Sailing Captures Fourth Place at Navy Spring RegattaCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – In its first action of the spring season, the No. 9 MIT women’s sailing team finished fourth out of 20 teams at the Navy Women’s Spring Regatta. The incredibly competitive field featured 12 nationally-ranked squads with the Engineers being one of two Division III programs to participate. On the coed side, the No. 12 Cardinal and Gray finished atop the standings at the Tufts Team Race.

February 18, 2014MIT Announces Coaching Changes for Sailing and Men's LacrosseCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – At the conclusion of the 2013-14 academic year, MIT sailing head coach Matt Cohen will step down from his post after eight seasons of service. In addition, men’s lacrosse head coach Walter Alessi will remain at the helm of the program as he transitions to part-time status after leading the Engineers in a full-time capacity for 40 years.

December 5, 2013Grace Young Receives Marshall ScholarshipCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Senior Grace Young (Washington, D.C.), a member of the MIT varsity sailing team, is a recipient of the 2014 Marshall Scholarship, which supports two years of graduate study in the United Kingdom. MIT saw a total of four students, all female, earn this award among 34 nationwide winners.

December 2, 2013Sailing Claims New Spots in Final Fall RankingsCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – After closing out the fall season at their respective Atlantic Coast Championships, the MIT sailing teams saw some movement in their positions on the Sperry – Top Sider College Rankings. The coed squad climbed up three spots to No. 13 while the women’s unit dropped back one slot to No. 9 in the final poll.

November 20, 2013Stewart and Xu Earn NEISA Weekly HonorsCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Following an outstanding performance at the Atlantic Coast Championship this past weekend, MIT freshman Alec Stewart (Duxbury, Mass.) and senior Iris Xu (Madison, Wis.) were selected as the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association (NEISA) Coed Sailors of the Week. The duo was the highest ranked Division III boat and NEISA squad in the B Division as they finished third out of 18 teams in the competition.

November 18, 2013Engineers Wrap Up Fall Season at Atlantic Coast ChampionshipsCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – In its final outings of the fall season, the No. 8 MIT women’s sailing team captured eighth place at the Women’s Atlantic Coast Championship while the No. 16 coed squad was 11th at its own Atlantic Coast Championship this past weekend. Prior to the postseason competitions, the Engineers participated in the Dark of Night Invitational last Thursday where they secured ninth and 14th place.

November 14, 2013MIT Sailing Climbs Up National RankingsCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Coming off numerous strong performances, the MIT coed and women’s sailing teams moved up three spots in their respective Sperry – Top Sider College Rankings. The women’s squad is the highest-standing Division III program as they are now eighth while the coed unit claimed 16th.

November 11, 2013Hanna Vincent Finishes 10th at Women’s Singlehanded National ChampionshipCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – As only the second MIT women’s sailor to qualify for the ICSA /Laser Performance Women’s Singlehanded National Championship, senior Hanna Vincent (Santa Barbara, Calif.) claimed 10th place this past weekend. In addition, the No. 19 coed squad won the Mike Horn Trophy, finished fourth and ninth at the Crews Regatta, and ranked ninth at the Professor Noringer Regatta.

November 4, 2013Sailing Secures Postseason BerthsCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – On the strength of outstanding performances, the MIT women’s and coed sailing teams qualified for their respective Atlantic Coast Championships to be held in two weeks. They earned the berths this past weekend courtesy of the No. 11 women’s squad fifth-place finish out of 18 teams at the Victorian Coffee Urn while the No. 19 coed unit captured seventh place at Schell Trophy.

October 31, 2013MIT Women's Sailing Moves Up in National RankingsCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Bolstered by its sixth-place finish at the Stu Nelson Trophy, the MIT women’s sailing team inched up to No. 11 in this week’s Sperry – Top Sider College Rankings. The coed squad, meanwhile, now stands at No. 19.

October 28, 2013Engineers Record Two Top-10 Finishes on the WaterCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – In a full weekend of competition, the No. 17 MIT coed sailing team captured fifth place at the Oberg Trophy while the No. 12 women’s squad secured sixth place at the Stu Nelson Trophy. The Engineers also participated in the Hoyt Trophy where they finished 18th overall.

October 24, 2013Sailing Has Solid Outing at Midweek Firefly RegattaCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – In its second and final Midweek Firefly Regatta of the season, the MIT sailing team claimed third, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, 10th, and 14th place out of 19 teams on Wednesday afternoon. Sophomore William Livernois (Newnan, Ga.) and freshman Jorlyn Le Garrec (Pittsburgh, Pa.) led the No. 17 Engineers with a third-place performance as they were third in the opening race, ranked fifth in the next round, and closed the competition with a runner-up spot.

October 21, 2013No. 17 MIT Secures Runner-up Spot at Firefly and FJ InvitationalCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The nationally-ranked No. 17 MIT coed sailing team captured second place among 17 teams at the Firefly and FJ Invitational on Saturday. In addition, the Engineers finished 12th of out 20 squads at the Navy Fall Intersectional.

October 14, 2013Engineers Sail in Two RegattasCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – This past weekend, the No. 11 MIT women’s sailing team finished 11th at the Navy Women’s Fall Intersectional while the No. 15 coed squad was sixth at the New England Match Race Championship.

October 11, 2013Robyn Lesh to Represent MIT Sailing at National ChampionshipCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – MIT sophomore Robyn Lesh (Everson, Wash.) became the second MIT women’s sailor and fourth overall to qualify for the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Singlehanded National Championship following her sixth-place performance at the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association (NEISA) Women’s Singlehanded Championship last weekend. She joins Danielle Ames ’96, who finished fourth in the inaugural championship hosted by MIT, along with Len Dolhert ’79 and Peter Quigley ’85 in this elite group.

October 7, 2013No. 15 Coed Sailing Finishes Second at Smith TrophyCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Behind the strength of 10 top-10 performances at the NEISA Women’s Singlehanded Championship this past weekend, MIT sophomore Robyn Lesh (Everson, Wash.) secured sixth place and edged out senior Hanna Vincent (Santa Barbara, Calif.) by one point for the final spot at the ICSA Women’s Singlehanded National Championship. Lesh will make her national debut for the No. 11 women’s sailing team in Newport, R.I. at the three-day competition beginning on Friday, Nov. 8.

October 2, 2013Under the SeaMIT senior Grace Young’s (Washington, D.C.) love of marine robotics will lead her to spend up to a month underwater this semester, collecting data and teaching classes over Skype to help save the oceans.

September 30, 2013No. 11 Women's Sailing Finishes Sixth at Regis BowlCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – In another full weekend of competition, the No. 11 MIT women’s sailing team captured sixth place at the Regis Bowl hosted by Boston University. The Engineers also saw senior David Alfonso (San Juan, Puerto Rico) and sophomore Joe Paggi (Bayville, N.J.) finish seventh and 20th, respectively, at the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association (NEISA) Men’s Singlehanded Championship while the No. 15 coed squad had a 12th-place performance at the Hood Trophy. Prior to the weekend’s races, MIT was 12th, 13th, 14, and 17th in its Midweek Fly Regatta that was held on Thursday, Sept. 26.

September 24, 2013Sailing Head Coach Matt Lindblad Captures International One Design World ChampionshipFISHERS ISLAND, N.Y. – MIT sailing head coach Matt Lindblad along with former team captain Bill Widnall ’58 and Riley Schutt ’09 won the International One Design (IOD) 2013 World Championship hosted by Fishers Island Yacht Club last week. The contingent, which also included Jonathan Farrar and Richard Feeney, captured the title with a one-point edge and was three points ahead of the third-place boat.

September 23, 2013Sailing Continues Strong Start to SeasonCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The MIT sailing teams picked up right where they left off with another set of strong performances in four regattas. The nationally-ranked No. 15 coed squad was fourth at the Boston University Invitational, sixth at the Hatch Brown Trophy, and seventh at the Boston University FJ Invite. Meanwhile, the No. 11 women’s team claimed fifth place at the Mrs. Hurst Bowl.

September 19, 2013Lesh and Sukharev-Chuyan Earn NEISA Weekly HonorsCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – On the heels of their outstanding performance at the Toni Deutsch Regatta, MIT sophomores Robyn Lesh (Everson, Wash.) and Lisa Sukharev-Chuyan (Temple, N.H.) were selected as the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association Women’s Sailors of the Week. The duo finished first in the B Division by a margin of 28 points to help the Engineers secure second place out of 17 squads in the competition.

September 18, 2013Coed Sailing Moves Up, Women's Team Earns Spot in National RankingsCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Following its first full weekend of competition, the MIT sailing teams saw considerable movement in the newest edition of the Sperry – Top Sider College Rankings. The women’s squad secured the 11th spot on the 15-team list after entering the season unranked while the coed unit moved up two slots to No. 15. A member of the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association, the women’s poll featured seven squads from the conference as the coed side claimed nine spots.

September 16, 2013MIT Sailing Finishes Among Top Three in Four RegattasCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – In its first full weekend of competition for the 2013-14 season, the MIT sailing team recorded runner-up performances at the Toni Deutsch Regatta and Harvard Invitational while securing third place at the Pine Trophy and 11th at the Harry Anderson Trophy.

September 6, 2013Engineers Host Midweek Firefly InviteCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The 2013-14 edition of the MIT coed sailing team provided three entries in its season-opening Midweek Firefly Invite on Thursday afternoon. The Engineers, currently ranked No. 17 in the latest Sperry – Top Sider Poll, finished ninth, 11th, and 12th as they also battled with Northeastern University and No. 10 Tufts University.

August 26, 2013MIT Coed Sailing Enters Season in National RankingsCAMBRIDGE, Mass. – With the release of Sailing World’s Sperry – Top Sider College Fall 2013 Preseason Rankings, the MIT coed sailing team finds itself in 17th place to start the year. The Engineers make their debut on Thursday, Sept. 5 when they host the Firefly Invite.

July 19, 2013Sailing Announces Class of 2017CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The MIT sailing team will welcome seven new members for the 2013-14 season, co-head coach Matt Lindblad announced. Included in the Class of 2017 are multi-sport student-athletes from four states and the U.S. Virgin Islands who have recorded outstanding performances on the national stage.

July 16, 2013MIT Collects ICSA Academic AccoladesMINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The MIT sailing team had an association-high five athletes receive Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) All-Academic honors in addition to placing one on the All-Conference Team. The Engineers accounted for one-third of the first-team as Andrew Sommer ’13 was a repeat honoree and was joined by Steven Drapcho ’13 (Newtown, Pa.) and rising senior Iris Xu (Madison, Wis.) on the list. Taylor Burfield ’13 (Naples, Fla.) and Eben Freeman ’13 (Zurich, Switzerland) earned spots on the second team while rising senior Keren Gu (Bowie, Md.) represented the Cardinal and Gray on the all-conference team.